Chapter 74 Guan Yang's room door was unlocked...
Guan Yang's room door was unlocked, and he often forgot about it. His grandparents had told him about this several times, but he didn't care.
Fang Minzhou opened the door and asked him, "Do you feel like throwing up?"
Guan Yang shook his head hastily, but the more violent he shook it, the more nauseous he felt. He immediately covered his mouth, and Fang Minzhou gently patted his back. Guan Yang stiffened, like a cat arching its back, but even though his mind was working very slowly, he knew that Fang Minzhou was only concerned about him.
Because it's just out of concern, there's no need to deliberately avoid any physical contact.
She quickly withdrew her hand, let him lie on his side on the bed to rest, then went to the window to close it, turned on the air conditioner, and came back to help him raise his pillow a little.
The midday sun shone brightly, and cicadas chirped incessantly. As soon as the curtains were drawn, the room instantly darkened and quieted down. Guan Yang blinked slowly and whispered in explanation, "Actually, I can drink..."
Seeing Fang Minzhou smile faintly, he became a little anxious, "I really can, it's just that this liquor is too strong..."
"Yes, and you drank too fast. Be careful next time, and drink less alcohol in the future; it's bad for your health," Fang Minzhou said.
"...When is 'later'?"
"When you go to college, when you have meals or gatherings with friends, some people will try to get you to drink. Don't try to compete with others in this way just to show off your manliness. If you get drunk, you'll be the one who suffers."
Guan Yang understood Fang Minzhou's deeper advice, but he didn't have the strength to think about it. His whole body felt weak and hot. He closed his eyes, but immediately opened them again, reluctant to let Fang Minzhou leave and wanting to talk to her a little longer.
Will I be able to get into university?
"Sure, why not?"
Is passing the exam even useful?
Fang Minzhou squatted by the bed, her gaze roughly level with Guan Yang's. Guan Yang wasn't like her at eighteen, or Wang Kan, or anyone else. Everyone has their own characteristics, but that sense of uncertainty about the future is the same.
She really wanted to tell Guan Yang that once a person is lost, they may remain lost for the rest of their life, just like once you learn to read, you are no longer illiterate. This is an irreversible side effect of growing up.
Every stage has its own troubles, but it also has its own rewards. Walking through a whole wheat field, if you can find even a single ear of wheat, no matter how big or small, that's good enough; it's a possible answer to your dilemma, but only a reference.
But these words were too abstract for Guan Yang at the moment, so she answered him definitively: "They are useful."
Guan Yang's eyelids were heavy, but he still kept his eyes open, looking at Fang Minzhou with a hint of reluctance.
He had prepared himself for a dull job at the guesthouse, so he was somewhat surprised to meet Fang Minzhou, assuming she wasn't much older than him. Their relationship deepened after some time, when a guest deliberately made trouble and demanded a discount upon checking out.
In the service industry, it's inevitable to encounter rude customers. One should adhere to the principle of "it's better to avoid trouble," but the other party's behavior was so ugly. Seeing the elderly people apologizing humbly, Guan Yang lost his temper and started arguing with them.
Fang Minzhou rushed back from outside. Guan Yang thought she would criticize him, but she didn't. Instead, she stood by his side and firmly stated that they would let the negative reviews and reports go unpunished, as they had a clear conscience and would not tolerate being bullied.
Life at the sports school was tough; he was practically raised on beatings and scoldings. Later, he was injured and could no longer pursue sports, so he went to a vocational school. Most of his classmates were also aimless and confused, and the teachers were just going through the motions. No one cared about him anymore, and when he got home, he only received criticism from his parents.
This was the first time in his memory that he had been so firmly defended by an outsider.
Fang Minzhou treated him like a child, but he wasn't. Yet, he did indeed develop an emotional attachment to her, like a fledgling bird.
He only spent a few short months in Minzhou's life. No matter how hard he tried, she could never treat him as an equal.
Guan Yang felt deeply defeated and couldn't help but call out, "Sister..."
Fang Minzhou responded, and Guan Yang fell silent again. She stood up and dragged a chair to the bedside.
"...Did you meet in college?" Guan Yang suddenly asked.
Fang Minzhou was about to ask who he was talking about, but after realizing what he meant, she chose to be honest and tell him: "We are high school classmates."
Guan Yang let out a silent "Ah".
They were younger than he is now when they met; they've known each other for a full ten years.
His sadness was obvious, but his gaze was earnest, like that of a crouching, wounded fawn. Being stared at so intensely, Fang Minzhou felt pressured, and she tried her best not to hurt him.
Are you disappointed in me?
"No."
Don't you think I'm embarrassing?
"No."
Do you think I'm childish?
"No."
Fang Minzhou used considerable patience in answering each question.
Do you think we look alike?
Fang Minzhou laughed: "Of course not."
Guan Yang, however, was somewhat disappointed.
Will you two get back together?
Fang Minzhou was stunned, not expecting Guan Yang to ask this question. He must have been drunk. "No."
"Really?"
"real."
"You're not lying to me?"
"No."
Perhaps having received a satisfactory answer, Guan Yang closed his eyes and waited for a while before falling silent. Fang Minzhou stood up from his chair and turned around, only to hear Guan Yang say behind him, "...You lied to me."
The voice was very soft, and because it was soft, it sounded somewhat aggrieved.
Fang Minzhou pretended not to hear and walked towards the door, opening the slightly ajar door.
Wang Kan stood quietly outside the door, holding a glass of water.
Fang Minzhou's breathing faltered.
Flying sand and stones, landslides and earthquakes are all things that happen in an instant; what is truly a disaster is something that happens suddenly.
When did he arrive? How much did he hear?
He expressionlessly handed her the water glass, which Fang Minzhou silently took. She returned to the room and saw Guan Yang turn over, his back to her. Fang Minzhou placed the glass on the bedside table, reminding him to drink, and when she left the room, Wang Kan was no longer there.
It's not in the kitchen either.
"How's Yangyang?" Grandma asked. "Xiao Wang helped me take the honey water over."
"It's nothing, I'll be fine after a nap."
Grandma couldn't help but grumble about how children don't know any better, and then asked Fang Minzhou if she wanted to eat some more. Fang Minzhou said no, and helped Grandma clear the dishes.
Fang Minzhou didn't see Wang Kan again until dinner in the evening.
Guan Yangren was still dizzy, so his grandmother cooked him some porridge and started arranging for something to take back to Wang Kan. His grandfather wanted to drink more, but his grandmother forbade him, and the meal was eaten peacefully.
This tranquility continued until after the meal, when Fang Minzhou drove Wang Kan to the station. Along the way, no one spoke, and no music was played; only the occasional female voice from the navigation system could be heard.
Fang Minzhou kept his eyes on the road ahead, even when he encountered a red light, his hands remained on the steering wheel.
She drives very carefully, even after years of driving experience.
When Wang Kan and I traveled together during college, we rented a car and took turns driving. But when she drove, Wang Kan always complained that she was too slow. She, on the other hand, disdained the habit of boys who, when playing basketball, would call themselves slam dunk masters, and when driving, would boast that they were racing gods of Mount Akina. The two would bicker while listening to music, and Wang Kan would even call it keeping them company and keeping them awake.
Finding herself prone to dwelling on the past again, Fang Minzhou turned up the navigation volume.
The traffic was okay today, but the constant red lights made me a little anxious. The red lights hung silently in the deep blue night sky, counting down the days.
Fang Minzhou was startled and extremely surprised, so much so that the unease that had been lingering all afternoon vanished in an instant. However, when she confirmed that Wang Kan was really asleep and her brows were slightly furrowed, she became somewhat at a loss.
Hesitating for a moment, Fang Minzhou drove the car forward a bit, stopped under a tree, turned off the headlights, and the car was enveloped in a small patch of tree shadow.
She checked the time again and decided that if Wang Kan hadn't woken up in ten minutes, she would call him again. The station was small, and ticket checking was quick; she would have enough time.
The car became even quieter, so quiet that she could hear Wang Kan's breathing. Fang Minzhou glanced at Wang Kan again, then shifted her gaze to the view outside her window. Shuangxi Town was truly small; the area around the station was sparsely populated and dimly lit.
She forced herself not to look at Wang Kan, but his furrowed brows wouldn't leave her mind. She didn't remember him ever looking so worried; on the contrary, he was very well-behaved when he slept, so well-behaved that "tranquil" could be described as so, with his long eyelashes drooping down, and she had even curiously tried to count them.
Did you have a nightmare? Are you too tired and stressed lately? Or is sleeping in the car uncomfortable?
Fang Minzhou couldn't help but look at Wang Kan again.
This seems to be the first time in so many days that we've been this close, and most importantly, we can observe each other without restraint.
He ran around in the wind and sun, and his skin was in pretty good condition, just a bit tanned. His eyelashes were still long, but there was a faint bluish tinge under his eyes, and his lips were still quite rosy.
So why do we frown?
Suddenly, Wang Kan's phone rang. Fang Minzhou was startled and froze. He immediately straightened his face, but Wang Kan struggled and frowned even more, yet he did not wake up.
The ringing stopped. Fang Minzhou suspected that Wang Kan was having a nightmare, so she gently nudged him. He then groggily opened his eyes, recognized her, and relaxed from his somewhat bewildered panic. He closed his eyes again, smiled, and naturally took her hand, saying in a slightly hoarse but affectionate voice, "We've arrived?"
Fang Minzhou was stunned.
The next second, Wang Kan's expression changed. Slowly, she reopened her eyes, but the smile vanished. It was as if she had only just become fully awake and had become a different person. So comical that Fang Minzhou didn't even need to worry about whether she had any flaws.
She pulled her hand back.
After a long silence, Fang Minzhou, having calmed himself down, was about to ask Wang Kan to get out of the car when his phone rang again. It rang several times before he reacted, but he answered it directly in the car, "Hello, Mom."
Fang Minzhou: "..."
On the other end of the phone, Wang Kan's mother spoke at length, and Wang Kan listened silently, finally replying, "No need."
Fang Minzhou couldn't hear what her aunt was saying, but Wang Kan's attitude had probably angered her. The sound coming from the phone grew louder, and Wang Kan said again, "I'm just about to go back to Jiangcheng now."
"I'm in Shuangxi."
"I took the high-speed train; I didn't drive this time."
Fang Minzhou saw me off at the station.
Fang Minzhou herself thought she had misheard.
"Yes, Fang Minzhou."
Throughout the entire ordeal, Wang Kan didn't glance at her once. He could say all sorts of outrageous things without considering the presence of the person in question. Fang Minzhou prepared to get out of the car first, and Wang Kan put his phone away again.
The car's air conditioning was ice-cold, and the atmosphere became foggy.
After getting together with Wang Kan, Fang Minzhou met his parents and his cousin. They were all very kind to her, but after the breakup, they naturally lost contact.
"Get off the bus, and be careful on the road," she said.
Wang Kan didn't make a move for a long time, and Fang Minzhou's breathing became more and more rapid. She was about to urge him when she heard him say, "Yes, I want to get back together with you. You haven't misunderstood."
Fang Minzhou's heart sank a heavy inch.
He was vague at the time, which made her feel slightly sarcastic, but she was not happy when she actually heard the answer. Every time she made up her mind, he would try to sway her again.
Wang Kan continued calmly, as if a judge were delivering a verdict: "My mom called just now to ask me to dinner, which is basically a blind date. I refused. In the past few years, I haven't met anyone new. I've been very busy, and I haven't had any particular feelings. I'm not saying this to criticize you. After all, I was the one who said we should break up. It's only right that you have a new beginning."
Fang Minzhou forced a smile, genuinely thinking that Wang Kan was going to be more open and honest, but it turned out he was being sarcastic again, "You should go and meet some new friends."
“Friend, friend…” Wang Kan smiled through gritted teeth, her gaze fixed on Fang Minzhou. “You told me not to say anything that would deliberately provoke people, but what about you? Have you said enough harsh things? Saying that you were also responsible for the breakup, you clearly hate me for bringing it up, don’t you? How about I just let you stab me a couple of times? Would that be enough to vent my anger?”
Wang Kan's anger initially startled Fang Minzhou, but after understanding what he meant, she was so angry she laughed. Was this his way of asking for reconciliation? It was utterly unbelievable!
"Get out of the car," she said coldly.
Fang Minzhou was about to speak when Wang Kan interrupted him again, "But this is the last time I'll ask you. If you still refuse..." He paused, a complex expression appearing on his cold face, which quickly turned serious. His lips twitched slightly, "I won't pester you anymore, so I suggest you answer carefully."
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Author's note: I had things to do over the weekend and couldn't finish revising the drafts, so I'm taking two days off. [waving hand]
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